I will start by being as blatantly honest as possible: The wall is going to cost more than $2000. When I first visited Omari (the day I posted his picture and story) he came up with that amount simply by estimating the amount of stone, sand and cement needed, mostly because he didn't realistically thing we would raise the money, especially not so quickly, and thought that that would be a good start. He did not take into account the cost of labor, the increasingly high cost of cement, the cost and amount of steel needed, the lumber for casting the columns, transportation costs, and tools like wheelbarrows, nails, hammers, hacksaws, and other assorted building materials and tools. He apologizes for the very low-ball initial estimate and did not intentionally mean to mislead me, or anyone else.

Take a seat; the estimated cost of the wall is likely to be around 850,000ksh ($10,000). I have asked around, and this is considered to be a reasonable price considering the size, quality, and the time in which it will be finished. We also want to construct a wall that will last for a very long time and therefore use good materials. We are carefully documenting all costs and keeping all receipts. We want all of you to know that the donated money is being spent efficiently.

Due to the urgency of erecting the wall, we have agreed (after comparing quotes) on a construction crew that has promised to finish the wall in one week for 150,000ksh ($1,770). The crew consists of nearly 20 people. If the wall is not finished in a week, they have agreed will pay them less.

Construction started at 8am this morning. The crew showed up and immediately began digging holes for the foundation of the wall. By the time I left today (at 6pm) they had finished all of them. Each hole is anywhere from a two to three meters deep, depending on the soil. Columns will be placed in each to support the wall.

By 6pm four truckloads of stone had been delivered (one is not in the picture), out of the ten we will need. The cost of all the stone is 185,000ksh (almost $2,000) alone. We are buying from a local quarry to save transportation costs; buying from Nairobi or another town would be very expensive. We are also buying unshaped stones, which is cheaper than buying already shaped stones; they will be shaped on site by the crew. The rest of the stone will arrive tomorrow and Wednesday.

Please believe that I did not realize the cost of the wall was going to be so high, but I am thankful we were able to raise so much so that this rather dramatic change in cost is not a problem. I think you all agree that the wall is absolutely necessary, despite the cost. We have done absolutely everything to ensure we are getting the best price on everything from labor to materials (for example, I am never around when Omari is bargaining over a price, as we would likely receive an "mzungu price"), while also making sure we finish construction as soon as possible.

I can't imagine that any of us who donated mind that the estimate for the wall was off. Whatever it takes for everyone's safety. All is good.

Reply

Mike

2/2/2012 01:50:57 am

Have an up vote.

Reply

Ben H.

1/30/2012 07:55:47 am

I think what is important is that it is done right and at a fair price, and not done poorly to meet an off-the-cuff estimate. It's great to see the pictures and progress, too.

Reply

Ben Holland

1/30/2012 08:04:08 am

Just to clarify... I am NOT Benjamin Hardwick. He did not write the comment above. I did (Ben Holland).

Reply

Miss

1/30/2012 08:43:34 am

We built a wall around our house in Southern Africa, I don't remember how much it cost, but I do know that you should make sure to use a company and not random people...Other than that, we had an intercom at the gate, that was really helpful! In my country we also put spikes/broken glass at the top of the wall, so people don't try and climb over.

Reply

Robin

1/30/2012 11:29:34 am

Glad to see things progressing so quickly. Good work.

Reply

ShaunO

1/30/2012 02:17:19 pm

Thank you so much for the detailed updates and the transparent reporting on the costs. As someone mentioned earlier, I too am simply glad to know that even at a higher price, at least the children, Omari and everyone else will be safe. You are an amazing humanitarian!

Reply

Jody

1/31/2012 02:10:46 am

Yes the updates are much appreciated. And as said above, safety is the biggest concern.